The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-10-15
A WONDERFUL SPECTACLE,

AT daylight on the following morning,
Juno 6. the Confederate fleet, under full heal
of steam, were discovered lying close to the
shore. The craft were respectively known as
Tho Little Rebel, Bragg, Benurcgnrd, Price,
Sumter, Lowell, Thompson and Van Dorm,
and altogether carried twenty-cight guns.
Their commanders were plain steamboat cap
aims, and tho commodore, Edward Mont
yomery, was likewise a river captain. The
Union squadron now began to drop down the
river, and tho Confrlerntes opened fire anl
advanced to meet them In n few minutes
they were within point blank range, and vol
Icy succeeded volley in rapid succession. The
citizens of Memphis rushed by thousands to
Tho bluffs to witness the novel scene, for d-
rectly before them, so near that individuals
could DO discerned, naval battle was raging
in all its lierccncss. Suddenly, there steamed
from u bend in the river singular looking
raft which, passing i'll front of the Federal
hotilla, dnrted Mt full speed against tho Beau
regard. 1t was Col. Ellet's Queen of the
West, and behind her quickly followed
another, the Monarch. The writer who
was uI eyewitness of the battle,
,an do no better than transcrbe his de-
scription written ut the time: "The destruc-
ton OF the Confederate seemed to bo incvita-
bic, but just MS the fatal blow was about to
be given the Bcauregard shecred and the
Queen crashed into the Lowell, cutting her
almost in two aad sinking her in deep water
Now came the turn Of the Bcaulcgard.
Throwing her bow around, she struck her an.
tasonist squnrcly in the side just ahead of the
whrclh"usc, causing her to carcen until the
whole length of her hull was visible. A few
moments more and the Queen of the West
would have sunk. but making her way to the
Arkansas shore she grounded there, and the
lives Of those on board were saved. The
Price by this time had joined i'll the fight,
and the Monarch, making a pass at her,
missed; while the Beauregard, endeavoring
at the same instant to strike the Monarch,
likewise missed hen and cut away the port
wheel of the Price. The Benton now arrived
and sent shot through tho boiler of the
B"nuregard, completing her disablement
The boats were so near each other that the
-harps,ooters picked off every man who ex-
posed himself.
Thousands of men, women aud children on
the bluffs watch the unequal contest. Swift
ministers of destruction are flying every
where. Now ball drops close by the side Of
a gunboat, throwing the spray high in air;
again you see 1t ricochetting along the water
until II IS lost TO view, while here and there
is gaping rent that tells of q death wound
received by one Of the combatants. A thou
sand yards distant the Little Rebel is sinking.
A shot has gone through her machinery and
torn deep hole in her side, through which
the water is pouring in torrent Commo.
dore Montgomery (who had changed his flag
from the Van Dorm to the Little Rebel early
i'll the action because the former contained
100000 pounds of powder, and was prac-
ticaly out Of the fight had recklessly run
alongside Federal gunboat, hoping to disable
her, but in a few moments finds his craft
going down, and with the crew he jumps into
the river and swims to the Arkansas
shore. 1t is a running fight for miles. The
Thompson lodges on the river bank, and,
an exploding shell igniting her magazine,
she is blown into fragments. The Bragg and
Sumter, although run ashore are captured.
The Van Dorm, with her valuable cargo of
stores, taken from Fort Pillow, and trans
port similarly loaded, alone escape. The
Confederate fleet is nnnihilated. The Fed
eral squadron now come to anchor, small
boats begin to ply back and forth; the trans
ports steam up to their landings; whistles
blow their hallelujahs; the men cheer; the
stars and stripes wave over forty different
decks, and in all hour or two the two regi-
ments Of an Indiana brigade, under com
mand of Col. G. n Fitch, take possession OF
Memphis" The Confederate loss in this hat
tie was estimated to he 100 killed and
wounded, and about 80 captured. On the
Union side, Col. Ellet received wound in
the leg from which he subsequently died, and
three men on the Caronlelet were injured.